Survey shows many school-leavers unable to apply their skills in practice

Meeting supply and demand on the job market is not always easy and
something that the Education Ministry has struggled to address in recent
years. While there is a lack of skilled workers in certain spheres, roughly
a third of Czechs between the age of 20 and 34 are not able to apply their
skills in their work, according to a survey conducted by the Czech
Statistics Office.

Illustrative photo: wistechcolleges via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND
The once popular Czech saying “řemeslo má zlaté dno”, roughly
translated as “a trade in hand finds gold in every land” referring to
the fact that people skilled in a trade will never be in need of work is
losing its attraction for the young generation. Vocational schools often
have to struggle to find students for certain specializations, even if
there is a shortage of them on the market. On the other hand, coordination
in meeting supply and demand clearly leaves much to be desired.

According to an extensive survey conducted by the Czech Statistics Office
around 46 percent of Czechs who graduated from vocational schools –and
had six months hands-on practice in the field as part of their education
– said they had not ended up in a job that would allow them to use their
acquired skills. Graduates of secondary schools, particularly those
specializing in the arts, agriculture, forestry and fishery are also
dissatisfied.

The most satisfied group in the age bracket polled were university
students who by and large apply their knowledge in the given field of
expertise. Only 13 percent of university graduates said they had taken a
job that was not within the sphere of their specialization.

Three-quarters of respondents said they had found a job with the help of
relatives and friends or by working for the given employer during their
studies. Roughly 13 percent said they had answered an ad.

The choice of job is also restricted by a person’s work mobility.
According to the survey some 35 percent of university graduates would be
prepared to take work abroad. In the 20 to 34 age bracket 13 percent said
they had moved because of their work. Willingness to move for a job
decreases with age. In the 25 to 29 age bracket it is 16 percent. In the
age bracket between 30 and 34, when people are usually settled and have
children, it is a mere 8 percent.